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The Feast at Solhaug : Henrik Ibsen's play Gildet paa Solhaug (1856) inspired Wilhelm Stenhammer's opera Gillet på Solhaug. The world premiere recording is now available via Sterling CD, in a 3 disc set which includes full libretto and background history.

‘Can great music be inspired by the throw of the dice?’ asks Peter Phillips, director of The Tallis Scholars, in his liner notes to the ensemble’s new recording of Josquin’s Missa Di dadi (The Dice Mass). The fifteenth-century artist certainly had an abundant supply of devotional imagery. As one scholar has put it, during this age there was neither ‘an object nor an action, however trivial, that [was] not constantly correlated with Christ or salvation’.

Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto was the composer’s ﬁfteenth opera, and the ninth to a libretto by Giovanni Faustini (1615-1651). First performed at the Teatro Sant’Apollinaire in Venice on 28th November 1651, the opera by might have been sub-titled ‘Gods Behaving Badly’, so debauched are the deities’ dalliances and deviations, so egotistical their deceptions.

Edouard Lalo (1823-92) is best known today for his instrumental works: the
Symphonie espagnole (which is, despite the title, a five-movement
violin concerto), the Symphony in G Minor, and perhaps some movements from his
ballet Namouna, a scintillating work that the young Debussy adored.

It is not often that a major work by a forgotten composer gets rediscovered
and makes an enormously favorable impression on today’s listeners. That has
happened, unexpectedly, with Herculanum, a four-act grand opera by
Félicien David, which in 2014 was recorded for the first time.

This recording, made in the Adrian Boult Hall at the Birmingham Conservatoire of Music in June 2014, is the fourth disc in SOMM’s series of recordings with Paul Spicer and the Birmingham Conservatoire Chamber Choir.

This well-packed disc is a delight and a revelation. Until now, even the
most assiduous record collector had access to only a few of the nearly 100
songs published by Félicien David (1810-76), in recordings by such notable
artists as Huguette Tourangeau, Ursula Mayer-Reinach, Udo Reinemann, and Joan
Sutherland (the last-mentioned singing the duet “Les Hirondelles”
with herself!).

This new release of John Taverner’s virtuosic and florid Missa
Corona spinea (produced by Gimell Records) comes two years after The
Tallis Scholars’ critically esteemed recording of the composer’s
Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas, which topped the UK Specialist Classical
Album Chart for 6 weeks, and with which the ensemble celebrated their
40th anniversary. The recording also includes Taverner’s two
settings of Dum transisset Sabbatum.

Sounds swirl with an urgent emotionality and meandering virtuosity on Jonas Kaufmann’s new Puccini album—the “real one”, according
to Kaufmann, whose works were also released earlier this year on Decca records, allegedly without his approval.

As the editor of Opera magazine, John Allison, notes in his editorial in the June issue, Donizetti fans are currently spoilt for choice, enjoying a ‘Donizetti revival’ with productions of several of the composer’s lesser known works cropping up in houses around the world.

This Winterreise is the final instalment of Matthias Goerne’s series of Schubert lieder for Harmonia Mundi and it brings the Matthias Goerne Schubert Edition, begun in 2008, to a dark, harrowing close.

The Metropolitan Opera’s database, for example, shows that it has been
performed there more than 1,000 times since November 1886. The number of
performances has declined in recent years, largely because of the work’s
cost of production, the work’s vocal demands and the work’s relative
conservatism. Nonetheless, Aida holds an important place in
Verdi’s oeuvre and today’s repertoire. As Roger Parker has noted:

Aida remains the most radical and ‘modern’ of Verdi’s
scores: its use of local colour. Aida, constantly alluding to its ambience
in harmony and instrumentation, is the one Verdi opera that could not
conceivably be transported to another geographical location. In this
respect it was an important indication of the influence local colour would
come to have over fin-de-siècle opera, and an object lesson on the
delicacy and control with which this colour could be applied to the
standard forms and expressive conventions of Italian opera.

Roger Parker: ‘Aida’, Grove Music Online (Accessed 25 June
2008).

Before me are DVDs of two highly disparate productions of Aida.
One is a production presented at the Arena di Verona. Built in 30 C.E., the
Arena is a huge open-air structure that seats 15,000.

The other production by the master of extravaganza, Franco Zeffirelli,
comes from Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto, Verdi’s birthplace. Teatro
Giuseppe Verdi barely seats 350; but this lovely theater is truly a small
jewel.

Aida is a colossal work that brings out massive ideas in stage
design. These two productions live up to that concept perfectly. So I will
review these DVDs separately. But I invite the reader to keep in mind the
contrasts between these productions as well as their similarities. Those very
things are a tribute to the mastery of Verdi.

Teatro Giuseppe Verdi

Aida

Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, Busseto Italy

Performance: January 27, 2001 (the 100th anniversary of
Verdi’s death)

Production designed by Franco Zeffirelli

Conductor: Massimilano Steffanelli

The King of Egypt

Paolo Pecchioli

Amneris

Kate Aldrich

Aida

Adina Aaron

Radames

Scott Piper

Ramfis

Enrico Giuseppe Iori

Amonastro

Giuseppe Garra

Coached by Carol Bergonzi and directed by Franco Zeffirelli , this
production cast young performers to celebrate the 100th anniversary of
Verdi’s death. The size of the theater did not stop Zeffirelli from doing
what he does best-spectacle. What actual sets there are look massive and fit
the aura of what Aida is supposed to look like. Other dramatic views
are achieved through the skillful use of painted or projected back drops.
Albeit small, the orchestra was up to the task in the theater’s tiny pit.
The flute solo was particularly notable.

The singers, who were then hardly in their 20's, are not well-known. Some
may recognize a few of the names, such as Kate Aldrich and Scott Piper.

Piper possesses a nice tenor voice. As Radames, he tentatively tackles
“Celeste Aida,” delivering a credible rendition of that monster. He can
sing loud and with a robust sound, be it in victory or rejoicing, yet sings
tenderly and softly in the last duet.

Kate Aldrich performs Amneris. One does not think of a mezzo tackling this
role early in a singer’s career, but Aldrich makes Amneris believable.
Although she does not bring the subtlety to it that a Zajick does, that is a
learned attribute. Aldrich is sensitive, cunning yet able to demonstrate the
insecurity of thinking her chosen man has given his heart to another. When
she knows at the end of Act IV that she has lost Radames, her remorse is
clearly felt.

It is a bit disconcerting to see the High Priest, the King, and Amanastro
so youthful looking and sounding. They are nevertheless believable and
refreshing.

Zeffirelli skillfully handles the “big scenes” on the tiny stage. He
does not include the ballet for the most part. And the grand triumphal march
is presented as a parade that the waving extras look on. We see their backs
as they jockey for position to see the spectacle. The music is well played so
we do not miss that triumphant moment. As the parade ends, Radames appears in
the Temple where the victory ceremony is performed.

There are other nice touches. In Act III Aida sings of her country (“O
Patria mia”) as she sits at the banks of the river and reaches into the
water to touch it and bring her wet fingers to her face…….almost as holy
water. Aaron sings this great aria convincingly.

My favorite portion of Aida is the ending duet. I want it to be
tender and loving. These two young singers do it with aplomb.

The costumes are lush and lavish. Soft pastels and vivid reds are well
presented. The colors darken as the tragic ending of the opera approaches.

I found this little production refreshing. I appreciated what it must mean
to these young singers to work with the masters like Bergonzi and Zeffirelli
and to be in a DVD that is in world wide distribution.

Aida at Arena di Verona

Aida

Arena di Verona

Performance: August 1992

Production directed by Gianfranco De Bosio

Conductor: Nello Santi

Aida

Maria Chiara

Il Re

Carlo Striuli

Amneris

Dolora Zajick

Radames

Kristjan Johannsson

Amonastro

Juan Pons

Ramfis

Nicola Ghiuselev

This massive production befits the location. Opera has been presented in
the Arena di Verona since 1913. Production designers have been tempted by the
vastness of the space available to them, and have often used live animals and
enormous sets.

This production follows the traditions of this ancient arena. Huge sets
depicting the temple, trumpeters high above the top of the sets and a cast of
what seemed like thousands (but probably not quite that many!). There are
live horses in the triumphal scene, but no elephants!!

All of the ballet music is there along with the dancers. Nothing is
missing in this extravaganza.

Maria Chiara was arguably one of the great Aida’s of her time. She was
the partner of many a great Radames, including Luciano Pavarotti. This time
frame is late in her career but she still can carry off the role. There are a
few rough patches at the top of her voice but not enough to really complain
about. Her “O Patria Mia” is lovely and heart wrenching.

When this video was made, Kristjan Johannsson was just beginning his
career, which led him to the Met as well as most of the opera houses in
Europe. His style is rough and direct. His only voice level is loud. I
hesitate to be overly critical in that the location could well be
overwhelming and the tenor may have tried to over compensate for that. When a
bit of a tender sound is called for, as in the final duet, Johannsson is just
not able to produce it. His robust moments, however, are more appropriate.

Juan Pons as Amonastro is worth watching and hearing. He brings to the
role the tenderness of a father and the regalness of a King.

Dolora Zajick is a force to be reckoned with. This voice is truly amazing.
Her acting ability is everything one would want from this Amneris. She easily
makes us hate her, empathize with her and in the end mourn with her. She is
one of the great Amneris’ of our time.

Nello Santi is an old pro and the orchestra gets to show off all its
skills as it traverses Verdi’s score. We all wait for the trumpets and
brass in this opera; but there are some wonderful flute solos, as well.

This video is well worth the time to watch Aida as a huge
spectacle and to hear some amazing singing by the women in the cast. With the
exception of Pons, one must bear the male performers to enjoy this
production.